[concrete] outtakes

During my recent trek to the States, I can’t suppress the feeling to conform to political pressure and to become more realistic (or grounded in a sense that fashion remains as frivolous and confusing to the general public as it is successfully commercialised at large).

In the run-up to my last weeks of studying Law (panic), one of the many perks of pursuing the degree at an institution in the United Kingdom is a month-long Easter holiday, with the advantage of extra time for smashing out courseworks, squeezing in last-minute travelling, watching documentaries and just catching up with life, in general. Movie marathons on long-haul flights remain to be my highest form of cardio in the form of Oscar nominated films (La La Landsoundtrack has been on my playlist for a few weeks, Allied was fairly disappointing with a weak plot line, though Marion Cotillard was excellent, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themjust about satisfied everyone's Harry Potter cravings with the fantastic Eddie Redmayne), discovering new TV shows (highly recommend ‘Divorce’ to anyone interested in awkward family conundrums with added dramatic and comedic value), and documentaries, when time allows. Of course, I speak half in jest as no amount of cardio could possibly save me from the travelling sweet tooth.

No matter how much one could disregard politics or ignore environmental issues such as global warming, a thumbnail of Barrack Obama AND Leonardo Di Caprio could not possibly deter everyone - and indeed, ‘Before the Flood’ was a good 1.5 hours long reminder that climate change is, indeed, real. (I do say so with mild sarcasm since the majority of my time, to everyone’s surprise, is either spent indoors with a textbook or avoiding rain or pollution, and I only have a few more months to make more of such excuses).

Even though the documentary itself is already half-a-year old, the context is nonetheless relevant. And much like this short outtakes film I shot from the Concrete photo shoot amongst the balmy Hong Kong last July for Loewe, its context remains pertinent. Within the fashion industry, or any industry on that note, I’ve come to a point to realise that in today’s context, it is really as simple as just giving a damn, rather than putting up an active participation, for show. As we approach the three-year mark of The Bold Concept, this space has been a continuous reminder. My very reasoning behind creating the website was to self-educate and address those who quickly dismiss fashion as frivolous and trivial, as it is to those that repeatedly regard fashion as something for, and strictly for, the female domain.

The journey is never-ending as there is simply so much more to learn if you fully allow oneself to immerse within and understand from observing the outlook on a big scale. It's simply impossible and unrealistic to break down every detail on an online platform, with the sole purpose to prove authenticity. As for fashion, it’s precisely the individualistic point of view, its sensitivity to manipulation of concepts, aesthetics, principles and refined techniques that make the conversation so interesting. It’s almost as if the vulnerability of being reduced to nothing is exactly that which empowers its presence. In other words, it's putting your money where your mouth is. And for this video that has been sitting on the back of my mind or hard drive for as long as I could remember, the context has not changed and the moments created are equally imperishable.